Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-07-23

for three moons journeyed, resting not,
stopping not, but running on toward forgetful-
ness, till / met the party of the white hunter
who is now dead, and am come hither with
his servants. And naught have / brought
with me. / who was high born, ay, of the
blood of Chaka the great king-a chief, and a
captain of the regiment of the Nkomabakosi
Am wanderer in strange places, a man
without a kraal. Naught have / brought
save this mine ak; of all my belongings this
remains alone. They have divided my cattle,
they have taken my wives, and my children
know my face no more. Yet with this AK
and be swung the formidable weapon round
his head, making the air hiss as he Glove it,
Twill / cut another path to fortune have
spoken"
shook my hsad at him. "Umslopogaas,n
said, IL know thee from of old Ever ambi-
tious, ever plotting to be great, fear me that
thou hast overreached thyself at last. Years
ago, when thou wouldst have plotted against
Cetywayo. son of Panda, warned thee, and
thou didst listen. But now, when was not
by thee to stay thy hand, thou hast dug pit
for thine own feet to fall in. Is it not sof
But what is done is done. Who can make
this dead tree green or gaze upon last years
sunt Who can recall the spoken word or
bring back the spirit Of the TALENT That
which Time swallows comes not up again.
Let it be forgottenl
"And now. behold, Umslopogaas, know
thee for great warrior and a brave man,
faithful to the death. Even in Zululand,
where all the men are brave, they called thee
the Slaughtered and at night told stories
round the fire Of thy strength and deeds.
Hear me now. Thou seest this great man, my
friend"-and pointed to Sir Henry; "he also
is warrior as great as thou and strong as
thou art; he could throw thee over his shout
der. Incubu is his name. And thou seest
this one also; him with the round stomach,
the shining eye and the pleasant face. Bong
wan" glass eye) sis his name, and good man
is he, and true, being OF a curious tribe who
pass their life upon the water and live in float
ing kraals.
swell, we three whom thou seest would
travel inland, past Dongo Egere, the great
white mountain" Ont. Kenia), "and far into
the unknown beyond. We know not what
we shall find there; we go to hunt and seek
adventures and new places, being tired OF sit
ting still with the same old things around US.
Wilt thou come with uss To thee shall be
given command of all our servants; but what
shall befall thee, that know not Once be-
fore we three journeyed thus in search of ad-
venture, and we took with us a man such as
thou-onc Umbopa; and, behold, we left him
the king of great country, with twenty
Impisn regiments), "each OF three thousand
plumed warriors, waiting on his word. How
it shall go with thee 1 know not; mayhap
death awaits thee and US. Wilt thou throw
myself to Fortune and come, or fearest thou,
Umslopogaass"
The great man smiled. "Thou art not al
together right, Macumazahn,r be said; II
have plotted in my time, but il was not am
bition that led me to my fall, but, shame ON
me that / should have to say it, fair
woman's face. Let it pass. So we are going
to see something like the old times again,
Macumazahn, when we fought and hunted in
Zululand9 Ay, / will come. Come life,
come death, what care l, SO that the blows
fall fast and the blood runs rod9 l grow old,
I grow old, and have not fought enoughl
And yet am / warrior among warriors; see
my scars"-and he pointed to countless cica-
trices. stabs and cuts that marked the skin OF
his chest and legs and arms "Ses the hole
in my head the brains gushed out therefrom,
yet did / clay him who srnote, and live.
Knowest thou how many men have slain,
in fair hand to hand combat, Macumasahna
See, here is the tale of them"-and he pointed